1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods for forming microelectronic layers within microelectronic fabrications. More particularly, the present invention relates to chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods and calibration apparatus for forming, with enhanced uniformity, microelectronic layers within microelectronic fabrications.
2. Description of the Related Art
Microelectronic fabrications are formed from microelectronic substrates over which are formed patterned microelectronic conductor layers which are separated by microelectronic dielectric layers.
As microelectronic fabrication integration levels have increased and microelectronic device and patterned microelectronic conductor layer dimensions have decreased, it has become increasingly more important within the art of microelectronic fabrication to fabricate within microelectronic fabrications microelectronic layers within enhanced uniformity, such as but not limited to enhanced film thickness uniformity and enhanced microelectronic material composition uniformity.
While enhanced uniformity is thus clearly desirable within the art of microelectronic fabrication when forming microelectronic layers within microelectronic fabrications, enhanced uniformity is nonetheless not always readily achievable without considerable problems within the art of microelectronic fabrication when forming microelectronic layers within microelectronic fabrications. In that regard, it is often difficult to form within microelectronic fabrications microelectronic layers with enhanced uniformity insofar as there often exist several interrelated variables which affect microelectronic layer uniformity when forming a microelectronic layer within a microelectronic fabrication.
It is thus desirable within the art of microelectronic fabrication to provide additional methods, materials and apparatus which may be employed for fabricating within microelectronic fabrications microelectronic layers with enhanced uniformity.
It is towards the foregoing object that the present invention is directed.
Various methods, materials and apparatus have been disclosed in the art of microelectronic fabrication for forming microelectronic layers with desirable properties within the art of microelectronic fabrication.
For example, Gadgil, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,519, discloses a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method and a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) apparatus which provides an enhanced streamlined flow of reactant materials to a microelectronic substrate surface when forming while employing the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method which employs the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) apparatus a microelectronic layer upon the microelectronic substrate surface, such in turn as to form the microelectronic layer with enhanced uniformity upon the microelectronic substrate surface while employing the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method which employs the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) apparatus. In order to realize the foregoing result, the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) apparatus employs positioned interposed between a reactant mixing chamber and the microelectronic substrate surface a constricting plug formed of a series of parallel capillary tubes, such as to provide the enhanced streamlined flow of the reactant materials within the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) apparatus.
In addition, Murakami et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,386, discloses a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method and a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) apparatus for forming, with enhanced composition uniformity, a compound semiconductor layer upon a microelectronic substrate employed within a microelectronic fabrication while employing the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method which employs the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) apparatus. In order to realize the foregoing result, the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method and the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) apparatus employ when forming the compound semiconductor layer upon the microelectronic substrate employed within the microelectronic fabrication a flow of a most reactive precursor source material within a plurality of precursor source materials employed for forming the compound semiconductor layer, where the flow of the most reactive precursor source material employed for forming the compound semiconductor layer is increased as a function of a distance from a centerline of the microelectronic substrate upon which is formed the compound semiconductor layer.
Finally, Zhao et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,994,678, discloses a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method and a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) apparatus which may be employed for forming upon a microelectronic substrate employed within a microelectronic fabrication a titanium layer with an enhanced deposition rate of up to about 200 angstroms per minute. To realize the foregoing result, the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method and the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) apparatus employ a ceramic heater assembly which allows for heating of the microelectronic substrate to a temperature of at least about 400 degrees centigrade, where the ceramic heater assembly is further isolated from a support member upon which it is positioned by a thermal choke such there is provided an enhanced thermal uniformity of the ceramic heater assembly when forming upon the microelectronic substrate when positioned thereupon the titanium layer while employing the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method which employs the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) apparatus.
Desirable within the art of microelectronic fabrication are additional methods, materials and apparatus which may be employed for forming with enhanced uniformity microelectronic layers within microelectronic fabrications.
It is towards the foregoing object that the present invention is directed.